Duayaw-Nkwanta, (A/R), Mar. 18, GNA – Dr. Freda Prempeh, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tano North Constituency in the Ahafo Region has underlined the need for the Legislature to review and facilitate the passage of the Affirmative Action Bill.
The passage of the bill, she said, would push the nation to tackle her long existing gender inequalities in all sectors of the economy, particularly in governance.
As Ghana joins the rest of the world to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), Dr. Prempeh, also a Minister of State in-charge of Works and Housing rallied the support of all MPs for the passage of the bill.
The IWD, which falls on March 8, every year, was instituted by the United Nations and celebrated globally to highlight the cultural, political and socio-economic achievements of women.
This year’s celebration was on the theme “Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow, Breaking the Bias”.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Duayaw-Nkwanta, the MP expressed discomfort about existing intra-party discrimination against women, saying the passage of the bill would remedy the existing imbalance between men and women in the country.
This would give both genders equal representations in the public sphere and greatly tackle outmoded socio-cultural practices inimical to the growth and development of women and girls.
Dr. Prempeh said women had contributed exceptionally to the country’s political life, hence the need for the passage of the bill for the nation to actualize Article 35 (6) of the 1992 constitution which mandates the State to “take appropriate measures to achieve reasonable regional and gender balances”.
“Though Ghana has made some improvement in bridging the gender gap, commitment is needed to enable us achieve equality at all levels in our governance structure,” she said.
Dr. Prempeh, also the Founder of the Ultimate Women Foundation, a women-centered non-governmental organisation, said the passage of the bill presented an enormous opportunity for the country to promote equality in participation and representation in decision-making processes for the good of society.
The Foundation sought to encourage and motivate women and girls to know their worth and to empower and position them to contribute to the development of their communities and the larger society.
Dr. Prempeh said it was unfortunate civil society organisations and actors had made several attempts since 1998, starting with the Affirmative Action Policy guidelines to promulgate an Affirmative Action Law, but without concrete results.
“The Legislature therefore needs to direct the process to see to the passage of the bill in the supreme interest of the nation”, she added.
GNA